##
The intense surge of cursed energy also caught Yuta Okkotsu's attention from the building across the way.
"Raku's in a fight!" Yuta exclaimed.
"Yeah." Maki Zenin responded tersely to Yuta's reminder, maintaining her vigilance of their surroundings.
After all, the situation around her wasn't any better. Years of battling curses had honed her senses to detect imminent danger in the air. Something big was about to make its appearance.
At this moment, Natsubi Raku delivered a powerful punch, obliterating the curse spirit within the box. However, the curses hiding under the desks were now fully revealed—similar to the one ambushing at the door, but much larger.
Eight sharp, spear-like legs exuded a metallic luster, their presence overwhelming all the previous curses.
Damn…
He had picked the wrong target, missing the two strongest ones…
Swallowing hard, Natsubi Raku could only think of one word: "outmatched."
Simultaneously, a heavy rumbling echoed down the corridor, causing the entire classroom to shudder as if in an earthquake.
This is bad!
Run!!
Hearing the booming sounds, Raku knew the big one was approaching. He immediately smashed the window and leapt from the third floor, shouting towards the unseen duo:
"Help me!!"
With a thunderous crash, a gigantic curse spirit burst from a nearby school building, resembling an enormous aphid. Yuta and Maki were both high in the air at that moment.
Huh...
So it wasn't me that needed rescuing…
Raku glanced at them, then turned and ran back inside the building. Compared to the massive curse outside, it felt safer indoors.
"That bastard! He ran away without even looking back!" Maki Zenin kept her eyes on Raku's every move, determined to expel him from Jujutsu High upon returning. Damn it, why is there such a huge curse spirit!
The giant curse, mouth agape, revealed sharp fangs like those of a deep-sea gulper eel.
This is bad!!
Maki was struck with astonishment as the curse's fangs flew toward her!
She swung her naginata to block, but her leg was grazed, and the pain caused her grip to falter. In her next attempt to block, she was knocked away.
The curse spirit lunged with its mouth wide open.
No! I'm going to be eaten!
With a gulping sound, the curse swallowed the two of them whole, its voice echoing in gratitude:
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for the meal!"
Inside the curse spirit's stomach.
An unconscious Yuta Okkotsu vaguely heard Maki's voice complaining:
"Damn! That coward Raku ran away without looking back. I even gave him 5000 yen for dinner, now just thinking about it makes me sick. Ugh! I dropped my cursed tool too, let us out!!"
"Where are we?"
Yuta slowly opened his eyes to a scene of dark red walls undulating rhythmically.
"We're inside the curse spirit's stomach. Don't pass out so easily next time!" Maki explained.
"Oh…"
"Wait!" Yuta was alarmed. "Does that mean we've been eaten! What about Raku? I remember him calling for help."
"Don't mention that coward. If I get out of here, I'll kill him! By the way, don't you have a curse spirit protecting you?"
Yuta replied, "I don't know when Rika will show up! Never mind that, what do we do now?"
"Tch."
Maki Zenin, clearly unwilling to admit defeat, clenched her teeth, her frustration visible. "Damn it, this is so embarrassing! We can only wait now. When the time comes, someone will come to save us."
Just as she was about to continue complaining, a young voice cried out from nearby: "Help!"
"Huh!?"
Both Yuta and Maki turned their heads in confusion, wondering how there could be someone else here.
A boy wearing a black and white short-sleeve shirt was holding an unconscious boy, pleading: "Please help him, he's about to die."
Yuta Okkotsu recognized the two children, remembering what Gojo-sensei had said before they left. With relief, he said, "Thank goodness you're alive."
"Look more closely," Maki said, inspecting the black and white shirt boy. His left eye had turned black, and his face was covered in blood vessels. "The older one has been invaded by a curse. Both of them could die at any moment."
"How did this happen! What do we do!?"
"What else can we do? We can only wait for someone to rescue us!"
Maki's face turned red with frustration. Her world seemed to twist, her voice lowering: "Not everyone has resistance to curses like you."
She knew the curse wound was taking its toll, and all they could do now was wait for rescue.
The pain was unbearable, like a high fever. Suddenly, she thought maybe Raku running away wasn't so bad; after all, this thing was beyond his capacity to deal with…
As her vision darkened and her head grew heavy, Maki Zenin collapsed.
"Maki-senpai!?"
Seeing her faint, Yuta rushed over, noticing a clear wound on her thigh, surrounded by human eyes. The dense eyes were growing rapidly around the wound.
"This wound... it's cursed?"
What do I do? She can't die, right? If only I were stronger, what should I do!?
While Yuta panicked, the boy asked, "Will that big sister die, onii-chan?"
"Well…"
Yuta didn't know how to respond; he didn't know what to do or if Rika would lend her power…
As he despaired, he felt a hand grab his collar. Maki, gasping, said:
"Yuta, you..."
"Hey! I'm not too late, right? I've been spying for a long time to give this curse spirit a cesarean section."
A familiar voice interrupted them, and the dark space suddenly brightened. The curse spirit's pained scream echoed:
"It hurts!!"
Natsubi Raku?
Both of them immediately recognized the voice. Turning to look, they saw Raku, covered in blood, holding Maki's naginata, his scarlet eyes spinning.
"You ran away. Why… did you come back?"
Maki's voice was filled with confusion. She didn't understand why someone who had fled would return.
"That wasn't running away; it was a tactical retreat. I'd never abandon you two. So, how about it, want to marry me?"
Raku's words became increasingly enthusiastic, ignoring the slowly healing opening behind him.
Whether the other two noticed this remained unclear…